Industry Transition Summit: Pandemic can be a key turning point for the hard to abate sectors

The Industry Transition Summit took place this week on the 18 & 20 May, convening stakeholders from across the industry, policy, technology, regulation and investment spectrums who are committed to transforming the hard to abate sectors.

It was clear from the discussions that the pandemic can be a key turning point for the hard to abate sectors and that while governments have put forth their goals and commitments, we need to bring those long term ambitions and targets into actions now and sizable investments need to be made by industries.

See the highlights video below and watch all of the sessions from the Industry Transition Summit on demand here.

Highlights Video

Key Outcomes

Hydrogen Hype
This virtual panel emphasised the need for a global supply of green hydrogen. Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, introduced the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism referring to its affect exporters in steel and aluminium because they have a stronger trading relationship with non-EU countries.

Policy as a tool
Sam White at BEIS, showcased the UK governments ambitions through their industrial decarbonisation strategy which will put in place the foundations for decarbonisation technologies.

Sustainable Mining
Thomas Schulz, CEO at FLSmidth, highlighted that the demand for metals is significantly increasing, stressing that without copper it is very difficult to make a more digitalised and electrified world. Thus, mining will play an essential part of the sustainability in the world in creating a better future.

Decarbonising China
Shuyi Li, Senior Associate at RMI China, did not hesitate to highlight China’s impact as the largest contributor of co2 emissions in the world, but stressed that they are implementing many targets and goals to change this, including the goal that China will peak its carbon emissions by 2030, and strive to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

Tipping Point
Reflecting directly from COVID-19, our panellists agreed that the pandemic showed that there are huge opportunities available and highlighted what can be done for the sector. As we had to build from scratch, and showed what people and businesses are capable of in adapting to change and pressures of the pandemic.

Decade of Action
Rana Ghoneim, Chief, Energy Systems and Infrastructure at UNIDO, outlined that while governments have put forth their goals and commitments, we need to bring those long term ambitions and targets into actions now and sizable investments need to be made by industries.

Watch all sessions on demand here.

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Interested in finding out how to we can accelerate the energy transition? Join us for the Energy Transition Summit taking place next week on the 25 & 27 May by registering here.